TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 133 
polygonal sides of the cells; consequently the colour, instead of remaining as a 
narrow line, became diffused over a considerable portion of the sides of the cells. 
These observations have been much facilitated by the employment of a hive having 
each side formed of four parallel plates of glass, with thin strata of air between. As 
thus formed, the escape of heat is so effectually prevented that the bees work with- 
out the necessity of covering the hive with any opaque material, and thus they are 
always open to observation without being disturbed by the sudden admission of light 
into a hive previously dark. Crude and imperfect as these experiments may be, they 
appear to me to have an important bearing on the theory of the formation of cells, 
and my desire that they may be repeated and extended by other observers must plead 
my excuse for bringing them before the notice of the Association. 
On Aquaria. By N. B. Warp, F.R.S. 
The author proceeded to consider the application of those principles whieh had 
proved so successful with plants to the subjects of the animal kingdom. At the 
meeting of the British Association at Liverpool in 1838, he directed the attention of 
the members to the extension of his principle to animals. He felt quite certain that 
a great number of animals would live and thrive under the same treatment, and he 
could see no reason why, at the same time that our stoves were ornamented with 
Rafflesias, they might not be illuminated with Fulgoras and Candelarias. In the 
same year he addressed a letter to Sir W. Hooker, in which he expressed his belief 
that animals as well as plants might be imported in the case, and these views were 
stated by Prof. Faraday at the Royal Institution. In 1841 he established the first 
aquarium for fish and plants in his fern-house in Wellclose Square, his object being 
not to determine the counterbalancing influence of plants and animals in water,—that 
having been ascertained long before by Priestley ;—but to determine whether the 
limited quantity of air in the fern-house would be sufficient for the well-being of the 
fish. This plan was shortly followed by Dr. Bowerbank in a large glass jar, which, 
yan seen by Mr. Mitchell, occasioned the construction of the Vivaria in the Regent’s 
ark. 
Mr. Ward read a communication from Mr. Mummery, detailing his experi- 
ments on marine animals and plants during his residence at Dover, illustrated by 
some very beautiful representations of some of the animals which were living in his 
aquarium. Of the permanent inhabitants were the following :—Actinia crassicornis, 
A. gemmaria, A. anguicoma, A. Dianthus, A. miniata, A. bellis, A. nivea, A. mesem- 
bryanthemum, Sertularia planula, Bowerbankia densa, Pedicellina belgica, Tubularia 
indivisa (in various states), Aphrodite aculeata, Serpula contortuplicata, Pagurus Bern- 
hardi, Portunus puber, Balanus balanoides, Buccinum undatum, Patella, Aolis lineata, 
Palemon. The three following could only be kept for a very few days: Lepas ana- 
tifer, Cydippe pileus, Lucernaria auricula. 
r. Ward gave a glowing description of the coral reefs of Rottenset Island, 
Western Australia, by Dr. Harvey, of Dublin, and strongly advocated the importa- 
tion from thence of some of the beautiful forms of vegetable life, such as Caulerpa, 
Bryopsis, &c. 
, The paper was illustrated by a collection of cultivable sea-weeds from the herba- 
rium of Dr. Harvey, of Cork, and a series of coloured diagrams of animals inhabit- 
ing aquaria, by Mrs. Mummery. 
On the Multiplication of Actinie in Aquaria. By R.WantncTon, F.C.S. 
The author described the several processes of reproduction occurring amongst these 
creatures : the first, in which a portion of the base or foot becoming separated from 
the Actinia, split up into three or four portions, each giving rise to a new Actinia; 
the second, in which the body of Actinia was fissured or divided into two distinct 
individuals ; and the third, when the perfect young are developed from the mouth. * 
The author called the attention of Naturalists to these points as being of use in 
classifying the species, and gave the names of the many varieties in each of these 
sections which had come under his notice since 1851. 
